Answers to your questions related to how to contract with an NCTE Consultant, what to expect when you have booked a consultant, and how to apply to the NCTE Consulting Network can be found here.

How to Contract With an NCTE Consultant

Q: What happens after I complete the Request PD Services form? A: NCTE PD Specialists will recommend the best consultants based on your needs or if you requested a specific consultant, we will directly contact the consultant to determine interest and availability. NCTE will be the broker between the school and the consultant, until a consultant is chosen.

Q: Can the presentations be customized to meet our specific needs? A: Yes, the consultant can customize their presentation to match your specific needs. The consultant and/or NCTE representative will work with your school to determine the best materials for your school, district, or region.

Q: What happens after we have chosen an NCTE Consultant?A: After a school has chosen the consultant based on their expertise and consulting fee, NCTE then will then send a contract to the consultant and another to the client along with an invoice for 50% of the consulting fee. Travel fees can be estimated and included in the invoice. The balance is payable within 30-days of the presentation (NCTE will send an invoice). NCTE will pay the consultant upon receipt of the travel expenses. We do consider other business situations if it is fully explained and detailed in writing to NCTE Professional Development Staff. A Confirmation Form is sent to your group to provide consultants with information about meeting room set-up and location, local contacts, and more. Consultants make their own travel arrangements.

After Contracting

Q: How do I communicate with the consultant? A. We recommend you comunicate via e-mail and phone with the consultant to further explain the situation and expected outcomes from the consultation/workshop.

Q. Does NCTE offer anything to make sure the visit is more than a “sit and get” professional development experience?A. We help you consider resources ideal for departments, cross-department teams, or other groups coming together as a community of learners. These resources might include specific books, Pathways programs, Web seminars, NCTE journal issues or subscriptions, and membership into our organization.

Q: Can the consultant be available for a follow-up visit?A. If possible, we recommend you bring the NCTE Consultant back for additional visits as part of best practices in professional development. You can arrange for a second visit either one month or several months after the presentation. Consultants can also be available in an online forum after the initial visit to answer questions, give feedback, and facilitate any discussions.

Applying to the Consulting Network

Q: How do I know if I am qualified to apply to the NCTE Consulting Network? A. Criteria for ApplicationNCTE is seeking highly qualified educational consultants in all areas of the English language arts. All applicants must: 1. Possess sophisticated subject matter expertise and experience with teaching practices that help diverse student populations excel.

2. Have the necessary consulting skills to successfully lead workshops, presentations, or act as a consultant for classroom teachers, staff developers, and other school leaders. Applicants must demonstrate their ability to consult by submitting artifacts of their work. Artifacts include handouts or evaluations from a workshop; a listing of presentations (with years to show multiple visits) and previous consultations; and journal articles or newsletter articles.

3. Demonstrate alignment with NCTE’s Core Values, and appropriate NCTE guidelines or policy statements through membership and professional activities. These can be found on the NCTE web page or can be requested from NCTE.

4. Participate in on-going professional development opportunities and continue to learn and grow as a professional and practitioner in English language arts.

5. Commit time to NCTE’s Professional Development Network, providing advice about future product and service development and general support for NCTE membership and participation.

NCTE welcomes applications to the NCTE Consulting Network from candidates possessing these qualifications.

Q: What are some guidelines for interested applicants?A. The advisory team will need a cohesive set of materials that demonstrate your expertise in the areas you list on the application followed by artifacts that support your expertise. The artifacts are key to showing the committee you not only know the information but you can successfully engage and instruct others. You need to show experience in planning and presenting various modes of professional development following recommended adult learning principles. You do not need to provide all modes of professional development experiences (many consultants do not consider themselves keynote speakers) but when you list experience doing onsite workshops, include handouts, agendas, and other artifacts from these customized workshops.

Things to consider: Are you a member of NCTE? Have you been involved in NCTE in any way? Please include any Council activities so the advisory team can determine your alignment with NCTE principles and positions.

Published Works: We want to know what you have published in both NCTE journals and journals outside of the Council. Include sample books written as well as article in local newsletters or feature stories in newspapers.

Workshops Presented: NCTE consultants are asked to present customized workshops so that we are meeting the needs of the school or district. We expect our consultants to have experience preparing and conducting this and the submitted artifacts should show this experience.

Q: Who Reviews the Application?A. Members of the NCTE Consulting Network Advisory Team review the application and a consensus must be met before a consultant is accepted. If a consensus is not met the advisory team members discuss, by phone or e-mail, their reasons for concern and determine what additional information is needed before someone can be accepted or needs additional artifacts.

Q. How Often are the applications reviewed?A. Applications are accepted and reviewed year-round.

Q. What are the steps in the review process?A. The steps are described below:

1. Application is mailed or e-mailed to the NCTE Professional Development Specialist listed on the application form. If the application includes a book or items that easily sent electronically, three copies of the application should be sent. Some of the items can be sent electronically and others via e-mail as long as that is communicated to the Professional Development Office.

2. Once the application is received at NCTE headquarters, NCTE will send an e-mail within 2-4 days notifying the applicant we have received the application.

3. NCTE’s Office of Professional Development will complete an initial review of your application to confirm all criteria are met and components of the application are present.

4. The NCTE Professional Development Advisory Team (see names below) will review applications to determine eligibility for NCTE Consulting Network. Three members of the team, per application, are involved in the review of the application

5. Applicants can expect to receive a letter/email regarding the status of their application within 8-12 weeks of submission receipt.

6. Advisory team members do not know the evaluations of other reviewers until all reviews are in. At this point in time, if there is not a consensus, advisory team members are made aware of each others reviews.

7. Applications are either accepted, accepted with limitations (perhaps on the areas of expertise or forms of professional development), or not accepted. Communication to applicants is done via e-mail, mail or phone.

8. Upon acceptance, consultant must agree to the terms of the contract. Per contracted engagement the consultant shall receive 90% of the consulting fee paid to NCTE. In exchange, NCTE will make arrangements, provide marketing services, and help the consultant make the most effective use of their services.

9. If you are accepted but with limitations, we inform you of this and then move forward with the items listed in 8.0.

10. If you are not accepted, we inform you of the comments from the reviewers. Applicants can apply again at a later time.

Q: My Application is in the mail, now what?A. Once NCTE receives the application, it will be reviewed by the NCTE Professional Development Advisory Team. The application, vita, and artifacts will be evaluated on the potential consultant's ability to present/consult; extent of their subject matter expertise; and alignment with NCTE core values. You will be notified when NCTE receives your application, however expect the reviews to take a 8-12 weeks. When the Advisory Team has completed the review, you will be contacted as quickly as possible.

Q: How will I be notified of the review panel’s decisions?A: Applicants can expect to receive a letter/email regarding the status of their application within 8-12 weeks of submission receipt.

Q: I am not accepted now, can I reapply later?A: Applicants not accepted are encouraged to reapply after making the suggestions offered by the reviewers.